- Delhi-NCR is currently covered in a thick layer of grey haze, causing a significant spike in local pollution levels and reduced visibility.
- While social media rumors suggested the haze was caused by toxic fumes from refineries in Iran, meteorologists have officially dismissed these claims.
- Experts attribute the phenomenon to westerly winds carrying desert dust from Pakistan and the Thar Desert, which has become trapped over the region due to low wind
Delhi-NCR witnessed a thick layer of grey dust haze over the region, leading to increased pollution levels on Tuesday. Social media users began speculating that toxic fumes, such as sulphur dioxide, were winding toward Delhi from Iran following reports of bombarded refineries amid the Middle Eastern conflict.
While Skymet has officially dismissed these claims, Dr. Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet, explained in an exclusive conversation with NDTV that the phenomenon behind the current haze is atmospheric mechanics.
Strong westerly winds transported dust from Balochistan and central Pakistan, as these winds flowed across the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, the dust settled over the Delhi-NCR region.
The Reason Behind the Hazy Sky in Delhi-NCR
According to Dr. Palawat, environmental moisture heavily diluted the dust by the time it reached the Indian border, creating a blanket over the sky. The winds originating from the west carried vast amounts of loose desert dust into the skies across the borders.
As wind speeds have plummeted to a mere 5-12 km/h over the last 24 to 36 hours, the dust has remained trapped in the lower atmosphere. Stronger winds are needed to push these particles away and clear the air.
"The dust is in suspension and is not moving away. That is why pollution has increased and visibility has decreased," Dr. Palawat added.
Dr. Palawat clarified that dust originating from Iran is not possible due to the massive distance between the two countries; the distance from the affected areas in Iran to India is approximately 2,500 to 3,000 km.
Secondly, the upper-atmospheric winds are currently blowing from the southwest, which would potentially move any toxic fumes toward China and Russia rather than India.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
